III. Education and Supervision

B. The ability to supervise child life students and volunteers

Selected Knowledge Area/Skillset

Knowledge

Identify skills and knowledge necessary for others to complete assignments and tasks

Skill

Structure duties and assignments, matching ability to complexity of task

An important role in the child life profession is the ability to identify when one feels competent and secure in their own practices, in order to train others through clinical supervision and volunteer programs. This step not only helps advance the practice of the child life professional but also encourages more entry and exposure to the field through dialogue with students, schools, and individuals. Being able to take on this role, as a student intern, I was offered exposure to the supervision process, from a different lens and encouraged to understand my own needs for communication, support, and development. Additionally, as child life, at both BCH and Good Shepherd, is involved within a larger network of clinicians and volunteers, I was offered opportunities to interact with and practice interventions overlapping with these individuals.

During my internship at Boston Children’s Hospital, specifically in the Medical ICU, I came to understand the large network of volunteers and specialties which help to support the ongoing needs and goals of children and families. These individuals include child life volunteers, the Laughter League Clowns, and Hole in the Wall Gang Camp activity providers. To best connect these disciplines with the appropriate patient needs, I observed my supervisor read through the census and assign rooms to the volunteers and specialties as she saw fit. After observation, I often took on this task and would create the volunteer and specialty lists in preparation of their arrival. This practice allowed me to better hone my skills of assessment as they relate to not only the needs of the patient and family but also the unique practices and abilities of each volunteer and clinician.

Evidence

BCH Journal Entry Week 4… I had opportunities in both radiology and the ICU to engage in solo interventions with patients and families and discuss areas for growth with Angela and Lauren. In addition to these interactions, I continued to work on a creative departmental project for radiology, created the volunteer list for 11 South and engaged with nursing staff about resources for sleep/wake health and comfort positioning.

Good Shepherd Pedi Pal Journal Entry Week 3… Entering into the third week of my internship session at Good Shepherd, I was eager for the opportunity to continue visits with Jessica and attend the bi-weekly Pedi Pal staff meeting with a more in-depth understanding of the patients and families which we’d be discussing. As I’ve seen through Jessica’s communication with patients and families and through other clinicians’ reflections on their experiences, visits and caseload can be very likely to change or increase throughout the week, depending upon need. Knowing this I found it helpful to use skills of prioritization to find personal times when schoolwork or other needs took precedence, so I could take advantage of as many visits and learning opportunities as possible.